


we're losing you (is it forever?)

by LesbianLucretia



Category: RWBY
Genre: A Wizard Is Never Late Oscar, AU, Both of them need a fucking hug bro, Canon Divergence - S07E13, Gen, Open Ending, Panic Attacks, Someone Entirely New, Soul merging, Temporary Identity Crisis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:53:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22643659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LesbianLucretia/pseuds/LesbianLucretia
Summary: Oscar can’t react in time to dodge the bullet, can’t react in time to even flinch before the gun goes off.Oscar doesn’t have the reflexes.Ozpin does.(or: a wizard is never late, mister pine, but fuck man maybe you shoulda arrived a little earlier?)
Relationships: Ozpin & Oscar Pine
Comments: 8
Kudos: 219





	we're losing you (is it forever?)

**Author's Note:**

> again, just to repeat myself, FUCK continuity, FUCK RT, i watch for only oscar the bees and qrow, and clover didn't deserve to die
> 
> anyways this one was really fuuuun
> 
> edit: i had to fuckin edit this cus i just rewatch season 5 and it's better than i remembered but um. i basically turned hazel's argument about his sister into ozpin's about oscar and aint that irony. anyways i edited the dialogue slightly.

“To you, it’s General.”

(James always had been a master at the quick draw.)

Oscar can’t react in time to dodge the bullet, can’t react in time to even flinch before the gun goes off.

Oscar doesn’t have the reflexes.

Ozpin does.

His entire body jerks to the right without him realizing and control is violently pulled away from him. 

After months of nothing from the other soul in his body, feeling him all at once is overwhelming and he’s in too much shock to fully comprehend or even fight back. 

He’s in survival mode, right now. 

And with the way he can tell that their adrenaline has been amped to 11, he isn’t the only one.

(He doesn’t think about what it means for Oz to come back now, of all times.)

_ Ironwood is dangerous when he’s afraid.  _ He tries to warn Oz immediately, not even thinking of anything else.

“I’m well aware,” Ozpin says with his mouth, barely moving it and barely making a sound. The feeling is foreign and delightfully familiar and he’s only loud enough for Oscar to hear. 

James doesn’t give anything away in his expression. Oz reaches behind their back and grabs the cane, extending it with a simple flick of his wrist. “But I think I’m far more dangerous when I’m angry.”

He says it louder, allowing James to hear. Oscar sees something change in James’s expression. He’s noticed the change between them.

(Ozpin doesn’t grip the cane as tightly as Oscar does.)

“Ozpin!” He cries and holsters his weapon. “Oz, you’re back, oh thank the Gods, I need you—“

“James,” Oz says carefully, like he was tasting the word on his tongue. “What have you done?”

The seemingly quelled rage is back in a snap. “What— what have I DONE? What I’ve DONE is what has been NECESSARY!”

“ _That does not make it right_!” Oz yells, right back, and it’s almost a parallel to the reason he had left in the first place.

_ Yelling back will only make him angrier, and right now we don't have enough aura to fight. _

Oz’s heaving chest stutters and his breaths shallow instantly. It’s as if closing a box. Their heart rate slows. “My apologies, Oscar. You’re right.” And he retracts the cane with a squeeze and secures it to their belt again in a fluid motion.

“James,” He says the name like it’s gone sour. “You tried to shoot us.”

“Oscar was—“

“But you knew I was also in here.” He tilts his head, his hands going behind his back. “You knew and decided to shoot anyways.”

“You can come back,” Ironwood says plainly. “It should be of no matter to you if an unruly host is destroyed in order to—“

Oscar feels something go very, very cold in his chest.

“Oscar is not just my host.” Ozpin throws his voice but does not raise it. It echoes through the basement. “He is important—“

“He is detrimental to—“

“He is a  _ child _ ! Oscar did not act in aggression towards you and you still attempted to shoot him, knowing you'd likely kill him!”

_ Oz? _

“Where do we draw the line, Oz?” James asks. “It’s alright to send children to their death in a war but not to prevent them from destroying  _ everything _ we’ve worked for—  _ I’ve _ worked for.”

“You cannot possibly compare the two.” Oz tells him. “You do not control these children like they’re machines, like they’re  _ tin soldiers _ . They make their choice to fight on their own. Do not pretend as if their sacrifices are our  _ own _ !”

James opens his mouth but physically bites his tongue to stop himself from speaking. He looks down and seems to consider his next words, briefly.

“You’ve been gone,” He says. “And I had to pick up the slack. Don’t you dare presume to have the ability to cast judgement on me of all people when I know what you’ve done.”

_ What  _ **_you’ve_ ** _ done? _

“What  _ I’ve  _ done?”

“You kept things hidden, things we should have known from the beginning.” He inclines his head ever so slightly. “Don’t pretend as if you have the moral high ground right now.”

Oscar feels something burn inside of him, like a meteor, and he lashes out. 

“Deciding to kill millions does not equal Ozpin lying about my past! It is nowhere near that! It was wrong, it was bad, and I should’ve just told them the truth in the first place, I know but-- you cannot ever compare it to this!” He’s shouting, now, despite what they told themselves. “There are  _ millions  _ of people down in that city! They have lives and friends and lovers and partners and children! They never asked to be the sacrificial lamb!  _ They never asked to be the spear that you wish to martyr yourself on!” _

Their words echo in the empty space around, bouncing of the walls and vibrating deep, deep in their chest as they pant.

(They haven’t even realized that they’d taken several steps forward during that, or that James had taken several steps back.)

James seems taken aback. He exhales gently, his eyes wide and his clenched fists shaking. His tense shoulders tighten but he squints in suspicion. “That's… Who is talking right now?”

They pause.

“Who’s talking…?” They look down at their hands. 

They realize, with a start, they’re so synchronized that… that they can’t tell who is who.

It panics them. Both-- no, all of them.

“Am I? Is it?? Did it happen??” They mutter, running a hand through their hair. “Am I gone? _ Am I gone? _ ”

They stumble. James twitches like he’s going to reach out an arm to catch them.

“Are-- Are we us?” They mutter. “I don’t-- I don’t want to. I don’t wanna be. We-- I’m-- Where? Where are you? Where are you?”

_ Ozpin? Oscar?  _ They call out to themselves but it’s empty, so empty. 

(A head of two becoming something new and now it’s far too empty.)

They’re idly aware that they’re kneeling now. Their lungs are burning from hyperventilating and they’re pulling at their hair tightly, so tightly they could rip it out.

A hand lands on their shoulder and he flinches violently, throwing himself on the floor away from the person in front of him.

“Oscar?” Ruby is there, her voice quiet. He didn’t notice her arrival. “Or… are you Ozpin?”

He can’t tell, for a second, until he realizes it’s not empty anymore. Until he realizes he’s singular again. Oscar curls his fingers and his lungs stutter on every other breath.

“Oz?” He pants, his eyes moving rapidly around as if he could find him physically. “Ozpin?! OZ!”

_ I’m here. _ He replies so, so quietly. Like he’s afraid.

“Oh my Gods,” Oscar murmurs. “We’re-- We were-- Is that? Was that how it’ll be?”

_ Yes.  _ He doesn’t lie. Oscar knows.

“I don’t want to,” He cries. He’s so, so scared and he can’t hide it. He feels like he’s 11 years old again and hiding his face in his aunt’s arms. He feels like he wants to scream and sob and cry. He feels like he wants to throw up. “I don’t want to.”

_ I know. I’m… sorry. _

He knows Ozpin doesn’t want it either, now. He’s just feeling wave after wave of muffled guilt and wordless apology. He can’t find it in him to soothe Oz, he can barely prevent himself from hyperventilating again.

“Oscar?” Ruby asks softly. “What… what happened? Is Oz back? Where’s Ironwood?”

“Can you?” He asks Oz. “I can’t-- I need to catch my breath.” He receives a wordless affirmation and gently releases as Ozpin takes control.

“Miss Rose…” Ozpin says as he uses the Long Memory as leverage, hosting them up. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re back.” She eyes him warily. “Is Oscar…?”

_ Just… tell her I’ll be alright. _

“He’s just fine. He’s… he’s still here. You needn’t worry.” He takes a deep breath. “To answer your questions, Oscar attempted to convince James to do the right thing. He… retaliated and I had to step in, once more.”

“Retaliated.” She murmurs, looking down and back up. “He tried to kill you.”

“Yes.” Oz looks down. “I attempted to talk to him but… well. Our merging seems to be progressing faster now that I’m no longer locking myself away.”

Ruby is looking at them with intense eyes, like she can’t decide if she’s relieved or upset.

“No more lies?” She asks, not beating around the bush. “I mean, for real this time.”

“No more.” He nods. “I swear on my cane.”

Ruby seems pleased with that answer. Oscar feels warmth bleeding into his chest, from both of them. 

“Can you prevent it?”

“I can certainly try,” Ozpin admits. “I’m not so sure it will be successful. But I will try. I don’t want to lose ourselves quite yet.”

Oscar scoffs mentally.  _ Yet? You planning something, old man? _

(He feels intense gratitude at his words, so much so that he knows Oz can feel it, too. He doesn’t need to say it.)

Ozpin smirks. “Not right now, but you never know, Mr. Pine.”

“It’s good to hear from you again, Professor.” Ruby tells him. “I’m glad you’re here. Cus, uh, we really need some help.”

“I already know the situation,” He tells her. “We need to prevent James from causing more damage.”

“Right.” Ruby nods. “The rest of the team is upstairs, let’s get going.”

Oz follows her to the platform. Oscar sighs heavily and steels himself.

_ This really isn’t going to be easy. _

“No,” He mumbles back. “But we have to try.”

(They both understand the second meaning to the words they shared.)


End file.
